Method of manufacturing gearing



Patented Mar. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES JOSEPH L. mrrnnws, or newBRUNSWICK; NEW Jnnsnz'assrenoa r ,IENITERIIA- 1 TIONAL MOTOR COMPANY, onNEW YORK, N," r, A ooaroanjrronor DELAWARE v METHOD or MANUFACTURINGGEARING Original application filed January 7, 1931, Serial No. 507,086.Dividedand this application filed nu gust'll,

1931. Serial no. 556,370.

The present invention relates to steering mechanism and embodies, morespecifically, an improved method of formingsteering gear sectors and thelike where a deformation or other change is required prior to the finalhardening thereof.

The present application is a division of the copending application ofJoseph L. Matthews for a gear shaping mechanism, Ser. No.

1 507,086, filed January 7, 1931.

While the following descriptlon is made with respect to steering gearsectors, it will be apparent that the invention may be utilized in manyother ways, particularly where the desirability of forming an article inthe manner described herein is presented.

It has been found in practice that steering gear sectors wear more atthe central part thereof than at the ends of thesector, and tocompensate for this condition, it has been usual in standard sectors (ofthe helical worm type) to machine the teeth eccentric to the axis thusproducing a high point in the center of the sector and low pointsadjacent I the ends thereof. In this fashion, the teeth of the centralpart of the sector may be kept closely in mesh with the worm by means ofadjustment, even after the central teeth become worn, without danger ofbinding or tightness at the ends of the sector. 'With sectors of theside worm type, it is difficult to obtain relief at the ends of thesector during machining since the provision of the above describedeccentricity requires extremely diflicult machining operations.

A further object of the invention'is to provide a method for obtainingrelief at the ends of sectors by forming the same in a desired fashionafter the teeth have been cut.

Further objects, not specifically enumerated above, will be apparent asthe invention is described in greater detail in connection with theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view in elevation, showing a quenching presswhich is adapted te'qu e and, shape n ii t ii jultaue uelr i a igur 2: evi w ih end el vatio h wing a sector formed in accordance with the presseat nv nt on Fi ur 3 i V w il -side e tiena hewr ingt e see oriei Figur2:- e 7 Refer ingeth bov d w gtper eu-l la y taF eHre d i wil beseeathat the sectorshaft 1-0 carries1a sector- 11, the plan t ee h hi h habeen f m te l pe y o a ent al or n rmediate high point'l-Q. This planeis indicated by'the line A in Eigure 3-and the plane of cutting, I

priorato, shaping, is indicated by theline B. Th nds 1 ef e e orthus,lie bel w he high point 12 and cause the teeth at the high pointjto.engage the wormmore closely than the teeth adjacent the'low points VAfter the cutting of theteeth in the nor- 'Illitl plane B, the sector isformed in-the manner described hereinafter, this step being done anytime after cutting whether the sec,-

tor is hot or cold. Theshaping is preferably done at the time of finalquenching for harden ng the piece and may be done in a presscomprising aframe 14 supporting cylinders 15 and 16. A piston 17 is slidably mountedwithln cyllnder 15, while cylinder 18 is carried by the cylinder 16. Atthe lower end of piston 17, a die 19 is carried, this die being adaptedto receive the sector shaft and, on its lower face, being curved, as at20 to shape the sector suitably during quenching. Piston 18 carries acooperating die '21 which is formed with a curved surface 22 similar tothe surface 20. Pipes 23 may supply compressed air to the respectivecylin-1 ders and actuate the dies to shape the sector receivedtherebetween in a desired manner as the sector is submerged in the oil24.

vFrom the foregoing, it will be seen that the process of shaping thesector, as outlined above, is quite simple and far less expensive anddiflicult in operation than that of machining the teeth with the desiredeccentricity. The shaping process does not add to the manufacturingoperations required in making the surface nor does it add materially tothe expense of such operations since the standard equipment nowavailable may be used with only the'slight alteration of changing thedies of the press.

While the invention has been described with specific reference to theaccompanying drawing, it is not to be limited, save as defined in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of forming gear sectors comprising machining a sector withgear teeth lying at angles to the axis of the sector and subsequentlyforming certain of theteeth in difierent planes. y 2. The method offorming a gear sector comprising machining a sector with gear teethlying at angles to the axis of the sector and subsequently applyingpressure to the sector to cause certain of the teeth to lie in differentplanes. a '7 3. The method of forming gear sectors comprising machininga sector with gear teeth lying at angles to the axis of the sector andsubsequentlyhe'ating the sector and applying pressure thereto to causecertain of the teeth "to lie in diflerent planes.

4. The method of" forming gear sectors comprising 'machining a sectorwith gear teeth lying at angles to the axis of the sector andsubsequently heating the sector, applying pressure thereto to causecertain of the teeth to'lie in different planes, and quenching thesector.

This specification signed this 3rd day of v August AQD, 1931. a JOSEPHL. MATTHEWS.

